Do you watch what you eat, try to lose weight but just can’t? Are you being kind to your liver?

The liver is the major fat burning organ in your body. It also pumps excessive fat out of your body through bile. A healthy liver removes dead, unhealthy cells, toxic chemicals, heavy metals that are in our air, water and food and clears out bacteria, parasites and fungus and fat globules. The liver filters oxygen, toxins and waste products from the blood; pumping through it about 3 pints per minute! Your liver also releases glucose to be used by the body. The liver is the main detox center in the body. If your liver is swollen with fat it cannot filter properly and your immune system will be weakened.

Poor liver function can trigger high blood pressure, skin problems, abdominal water weight & “pot belly”, trouble losing weight especially while dieting; it can lead to diabetes, high cholesterol, shortened tendons in palm & fingers, fatigue, reflux/heartburn, excessive sweating, headaches, nausea, depression, sleep disturbances, low testosterone low libido and so much more.

How does your liver get under duress and fatty? Simply by eating processed foods, high fat, greasy foods, sugary baked goods, simple carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, chips, soda and other sweet drinks, as well as artificial sweeteners (which are chemicals and not food at all- by the way), lots of caffeine and alcohol. The water we drink and the air we breathe also plays a large part in helping our liver becoming sluggish.

You can help your liver which in turn will help you burn off more fats through eating a healthy diet and by following a liver detox for a time if you’re so inclined. If you would like guidance in a liver detox contact me at Dawn@InitiateWellness.com.

Eating for your liver health consists of whole natural foods, and drinking at least 8 ounces of lemon infused water each morning either hot, warm or cold. You can also drink it throughout the day if you like it; lemon and water are terrific detoxifying foods.

A short list of other foods with a big benefit on liver health includes:

Garlic(it removes mercury, additives and hormones), onions, fresh lightly steamed or raw vegetables, fruits, berries-especially blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries), bitter spring greens, dill, caraway, turmeric and cayenne, Omega 3 fats from wild caught small fish, seeds, nuts, flax and grape seed oils, Chia, flax, avocado and fish oil supplements.